Angel of Life; Angel of Death
by Murabayshi Harukaze
Summary: A prequal to the game, based on Kuja's motives and history.


Angel of Life; Angel of Death By Harukaze (murabayashi. don't write often, and I have no idea how good or bad this particular story is. The main reason I posted it here is so that I could get some constructive critisism; I would like to be a better writer and make sure that this story comes out well. So, if you read this please review it for me and send me an email with a comment or 2 so I know someome is reading this, that'll give me incentive to keep writing. :Smile:

Haru ----------------

Kuja sat at an ornate desk littered with books, papers, scrolls, and writing untensils. Many of the books were written in languages long forgotten, others written in the scratchy Burmecian language, and many more written in the embellished, fancifull writing used in Alexandria and Lindblum. It was this last set of characters he was using for his own composition. He had drawn out blueprints for a machine; it was partly powered by chocobos, and otherwise mist-powered. It was meant to mass-produce magically animated dolls that could use black magic. He finished up his instructions for the building and installation of the machine, then packaged up the blueprints, instructions, and other documents he meant to take to Alexandria.

He picked up the package and walked out of his study. He walked through the glowing halls of his desert palace, and to the airship hanger, where his silver dragon waited. Just as he was about to spring up to the back of his dragon, he felt a presence. One he wasn't in a mood to deal with. Talking his sweet time, Kuja placed his parcel on the ground before him and arrogantly turned about. He wasn't surprised to see his master standing behind him; he had long ago grown accustomed to him appearing with no apparent evidence or advanced notice whatsoever.  
He narrowed his eyes at the tall man and an impish smile crept across his lips. "What can I do for you?" he said, with just the slightest hint of sarcasam apparent in his silky, tenor voice.

"I need to speak with you. Come with me." Garland said, his emotionless voice was low in both volume and tone.

Kuja remained undecided for just a moment. He truly disliked Queen Brahne, and knew that it would infuriate her should he be late for their meeting. He also knew that Garland was keeping something from him. He assumed that this was the reason he was not allowed to come back to Bran Bal for such a long time.

On the other hand, no matter how much he disliked the company of the elephant-queen, he absolutely hated Garland and had even fewer chances to irritate him.

"I do not have time to visit with you, Garland, I have an audience with the Queen of Alexandria. She will be quite cross with me if I'm late." With that, he picked up his package, sprung up onto his dragon and began to secure his goods to its back.

Garland reconized this as one of Kuja's usual tactics and didn't flinch. His lack of reaction irritated Kuja even more than his meer presence, and Garland felt the beginnings of Kuja's anger streak like lightning through the younger man's aura. Still, he remained undisturbed.

It was just as Kuja had fastened the last tie on his gift for the queen, when he found that he no longer had a dragon beneeth him. Before the adrenaline could kick in, he had fallen just a foot or two and was now sitting on a blue-tiled floor. He knew Garland was there, he could sense his icy stare upon him. He did see Garland as he looked about, but it was the two almost identical people in the tall, clear tubes full of an unkown liquid that intersted him more. They looked alarmingly similar to his brothers and sisters in Bran Bal. Kuja wasn't sure weather they really were his brothers and sisters, of course, for it was Garland who first refered to them as such. The only thing that made Kuja wonder weather this really was the truth, was that he always had a feeling that he was similar to them in some way he couldn't explain.

"Like theese two," and Garland motioned to the imprisioned pair, "and all of your other siblings, you were created." Garland said, with an ominous tone. "Your purpose alone is to cause destruction on Gaia, and lead the souls from that planet back to Terra. Unlike the others, I have given you a soul."

Kuja sat on the tiled floor of the strange… laboratory? He looked up at the frozen pair before him, realizing that at one time he was once in their state.

"This one's," He indicated the boy of the pair, "life will begin when your purpose is fullfilled. Your purpose, no, your destiny is to be my angel of death."

"Destiny?" Kuja wispered in a soft voice, as a feeling of fear and entrapment surrounded him. He sat there for a long moment, his head a bit foggy as he tried to sort out what Garland was talking about. He looked at the boy, and after a minniute or so realized what Garland had meant. 'He means to use me just the way he uses all of my brothers and sisters, to try and make me just as mindless and obedient as they are, and only until his more powerful weapon is ready. I am nothing to him but a toy, and he views me the same way as all the rest of them.' He thought to himself. Suddenly, his hatred for Garland spawned full-fleged anger and he stood, his hands clenched at his sides, and his eyes narrowed at the large, dark figure before him. "What makes you believe that you can write my destiny!"

"You are mine, and I am your createor. Your parent, if you will. You have become powerful enough, it is time for you to fullfill your purpose.  
Until the time when this boy becomes more powerful than you, you shall be the bringer of death to Gaia. Eventually, the souls that you bring from Gaia will be received by your brothers and sisters, and through you and those that fallow you, Terra will be reborn."

Kuja coudn't help but to keep glancing past Garland to the glass tubes. The more he looked at the young boy in the tube, the fear and confusion that had been present in the back of his mind came forward and made itself fully known. 'I will not be used for any purpose of his, and I will not let any of my brothers and sisters be used either! It can not be true that they do not have souls; a person can not live at all without one. I will not let Garland use them, if I can get them all out somehow then we all will be free… And with this last thought, Kuja straitened. His stance changed from an offensive, as if he were about to lash out, to one of his trade-mark indignant, pretty, hand-on-hip poses.He wore a wicked grin and paused just long enough to let Garland begin wondering what he was thinking.

"I will not be a slave to your so-called 'destiny.' I will not be used and manipulated by you. All beings are granted freedom to choose the path their lives take and neither myself nor any of my brothers and sisters are any different!"

Garland had expected words from Kuja, and thoght that the young man would realize the amount of power Garland must have in order to do the job he has. Kuja, despite his recognition of this, was too angry to care. His fists crackled with silver electricity which suddenly lept out, touching all that surrounded him. The tubes broke open, spilling their contents all over the floor. Garland , stunned, slightly wounded, and quite surprised, found himself falling from the tall, saucer shaped tower that held the laboratory.  
Kuja looked at the boy laying on the floor in front of him. He had dusty blonde hair, large eyes, and a fuzzy tail that matched the color of his hair.

As kuja inspected the young boy, his mind wandered back to what Garland had said about this boy becoming more powerfull than him.  
At the edges of his feeling of triumph in having caught Garland off-  
guard, loomed the apprehension that soon he would return and find himself in a battle he knew he couldn't win.

He was about to start running when his narcisissm and jelousy kicked in. "I will not allow any other to achieve a power like mine, nor will I allow any to come close. Not even a brother…" It was now that began an ever-  
present fear; persistant and maddening, Kuja would never again have a peacefull nights sleep. 'What if I can not change it? The path of my life is not already paved, is it?' He looked at this prophesized rival before him and the beginnings of a hatred formed at the edges of his conciousness.  
Without a single hint of his usual grace, Kuja picked up the boy and bolted for the exit. He ran up the steps and out of the small building. He was relieved to find himself in Bran Bal, and knew exactly how to get out.

Garland watched his viewing crystal intently. He observed as Kuja made his way through Terra, and back to the portal that he used to use. After Kuja stepped through, Garland willed the portal to deactivate. "Just as I predicted." Garland whispered to himself. "Every step he runs will just bring him that much closer to fullfilling his purpose." He let the vision in the crystal fade, not to see Kuja again for many a year.

Kuja emerged in the main reception hall of his desert palace, the strange boy in his arms. He fell to his knees, out of breath. Just this once, he had wished for a slightly more sturdy form. After spending a few minutes catching his wind, he picked up the boy and began running again, heading back towards his dragon and activating all the bloodstones along his way. Within moments, he was at his destination and hauling the unconcious boy up to his dragon's back.

The pair flew, south and east, towards the Mist Continent. The air was cold and biting against Kuja's face, and yet he did not stop nor dare to look back. It was about the time he saw the floating island off in the far distance when he noticed a flickering of color against the cold, gray mist below him. Although he tried to strech out and see below his dragon he didn't get a glimpse of them untill they came up right in front of him.  
Three garudas, squaking their threats toward the assumed intruders, darted here and there in attempts to scratch and peck both the dragon and its passangers.

The dragon suddenly reared up and screeched, throwing Kuja off-  
balance. He lost hold of the boy, who he had neglected to strap secure in his rush. He only realized he had lost something after regaining his balacne and sending all three pests hurdling towards the mist below, burning in flames.

"Just as well," he said, when the realization came to him. "I would have taken his life anyway."

"How dare you keep me waiting, you insulant, little,"

"Now, now, my dear queen. No need to make a fuss." Kuja cooed down at Queen Brahne as he decended the marble steps of the auction house.

"You were supposed to come to Alexandria! How dare you insult me with your summons! I never should have shown my face in Treno; that would teach you!" Kuja smiled sweetly to himself as he watched the queen observe his approach, fists clenched, eyes glaring, and her face twisted into a disgusting mass of angry wrinkles, sharp teeth, and snarles. Not that it was much different than usual. Everyone would spend less time heaving if that were the case… he thought to himself. He decided quickly, however, that it would be in his best intrest to not respond to her anger and just continued.

"I have brought with me the completed plans for the machine I had previously described." He made a rather limp-wristed movement of his right hand and the autioneer stepped forward with a parcel.

Brahn quickly undid the wrappings, and proceeded to look over the many documents. She studied them for a long moment, looking almost cross-eyed.  
"This will take years to make!" The Queen excalaimed, looking over the list of materials needed.

"Yes, but it will be worth it, will it not? Your desire is to become the most powerfull country in the world; with this machine you can create magical soldiers to fight your war. Not a single Alexandrian life need be lost, and you can create as many as you want or need. Consider it an investment; the wealth and power you will come to posess will greatly be worth your patience."

The Queen seemed to be considering this silently. "How effective will these soldiers be? Will they be willing to fight for me?"

"They will use very powerfull Black Magic; unlike machines or people, they do not have elemental weaknesses. They are much like animated dolls, without a will of their own. They will do only what you command them to do. Besides, I'm also starting on plans for an eventual up-grade." Kuja held his aura of easy confidence, and the queen was silent for still a few minutes more.

"Very well then, we'll use that backwater town of Dali. No one would ever suspect to find anything there." Brahn packed up the documents again, and started to re-fasten her cloak.

"By the way, how fares your young daughter?" Kuja asked the elephant-lady, with a sly grin.

"Garnet? She is very well. She will be five years old tomarrow." The queen smiled a gentle smile, thinking about the ball she planned to hold for he young princess. "Will you be attending the ball?"

Kuja hesitated just a moment. "I regret that I can not; I have an excessive amount of work to tend to. However," Kuja paused and drew his hands together. In a bright flash of red light, a garnet rose appeared in his grasp. It was a deep, blood red with a stem of jade and leaves of emeralds. "Please give her this in my stead."

The Queen took the gift and wrapped it in a scarf that she had tied to her waist. She nodded to the young man and headed off. 'He may not be a prince, but a powerfull sorcerer is very valuble. Perhaps when my Garnet is older…' Brahne mused to herself as she made her way to her private airship.

Eagerly, the young princess wripped the wrapping from her last birthday gift, a special one that her mother had presented to her at the last second. She sifted through the ocean of tissue-paper in the box to eventually reveal a gemmed rose. Almost frearfull of touching such a fragile treasure, she carefully lifted it from it's wrappings. For a long moment, she stared into the crimson depths of the flawless rosebud. There was something about the gem, something special.

"Hatred is life, as love is death.  
To love is the murder of the soul."

She heard these words, whispered so softly from a velvet voice. She wasn't sure, but she fancied that she saw a pair of eyes, beautifull and deep as the mist, within the depths of the flower. She was surprised, but yet she wasn't. After all, she had been looking for something but wasn't sure what she'd find. She looked away, found her mouth hanging open, and quickly snapped it shut.

"It's so beautiful, however, I did not see a card. To whom should I send my thanks?" She quietly asked her mother.

"A prince. A very special prince. Take special care of that gift, Garnet, and one day your prince will bring you the world." The young girl hugged the rose to her chest and smiled at the gathered crowd. She was happy and tense at the same time, for deep inside, she flet she could never tell anyone what she heared.

From that day forth, Princess Garnet was never without her treasure; she usually wore it in her hair, or otherwise carried it with her. If people asked about it she always said it was her good luck charm. Over the next several months, the young princess, although as happy and charming as ever, grew less and less energetic. She often fell ill, and as her next birthday approached, she was found in bed with a dangerously high fever. She passed away the day before her sixth birthday, holding her treasure tightly to her chest. No one took notice, but the once crimson rose had turned to an ebon blackness and vanished once it had fallen from the hand of it's young owner.

Kuja lay on his bed, consisting of a massive amount of soft and fluffy pillows, sprawled out like a cat and half asleep. He felt a quick disturbance of the light blanket that coverd his nude form, and slowly opened an eye to investigate. Laying beside him was the black rose. He giggled wickedly to himself, and willed the lamps in his bedchamber to burn to life. He dawned a sheer light blue robe barely long enough to reach his mid-thiegh. He picked up the rose and peered into it. The form of a young girl could be seen, terrified and lonely in a black void. Her sobs were barely audible, and the rose dawned beads of morning dew with each new tear she wept.

Expecting this moment for a while now, Kuja slipped the rose into a crystal vase that sat upon a tiny, round pedastal. "You should thank me, my sweet, for spending eternity as you are is a great improvement over having your soul being ripped to shreads by Lifa. Worship and revere me, Princess, for you are at my mercy."

Kuja fell lightly back on his bed. 'Just one month, and I can retrieve my treasure'

Thunder boomed and lightning crashed at sea; giant waves tossed the small boat and the pair it carried. In the distance, a giant eye loomed over Madain Sari, the only other witness to the destruction of the rocky settlement. The young woman held her daughter close to her, thankful that the eerie man in her dream had warned her of this distaster, but was at the same time wrought with grief. No one would believe in her premonintion and told her it was daft to take that tiny fishing boat so far out to sea, especially after dark since they had no beacon to guide them.

She pulled on the rutter with all her strength, trying to keep the small craft heading into the waves, lest they be overturned. The winds whipped about, and being so far from the fire raging about their home town, she didn't realize the rope had come undone untill the now-loose beam used to suspend the sail swung arround and hit her in the back of the head.

The world was hazy as she hugged her young daughter close, "Carbuncle, eidelon of protection, please guide my beautifull daughter to a world where she will be safe..." She uttered the prayer as her last words just before she fell unconcious.

Her prayer was answered, just not as she expected. As the frightened child clung to her mother's limp form, a white, circular glyph formed beeneath the boat. In moments, it was transfered to the rear deck of the Invincible, where Kuja waited. The young girl turned a tear stained face toward the young man, "Mama won't wake up." She said in a whisper.

"You need not worry, my young canary, for with the dawn will come a new life for you and all this will have been nothing but a distant dream." Kuja said sweetly, as he drew the child into a warm embrace. She cuddled up to him, quickly falling into a deep slumber. He settled her back into the boat, comfortably laying her against her pale mother.

Kuja stepped up to the captain's platform on the main bridge. "To Alexandrian shores." He commanded the living ship, and swept a lock of stray hair out of his face. The ship flew silently through the dark night, and eventually arrived

Over a beach just west of the Alexandrian harbour. Another glyph on the ground appeared, and the boat was transfered back to the dark world below.

"General Beatrix!" Sala called as she ran. Halting suddenly before her superior, she saluted. "A fishing boat has been found just west of here! You'll never believe who's inside!" Beatrix gave Sala a questioning look with a 'hmmmm?' to match.

"Princess Garnet." Sala wispered through cupped hands. She then motionied for the general to follow as she headed back to the boat. Beatrix hesitated just long enough to wipe the shocked expression off of her face then took off after the young soldier.

Sure enough, as she peeered into the boat, the child that lay there sleeping looked exactly like Princess Garnet Til Alexandros XVII. The only difference was that the child had a horn.

Sala checked the lady over, then the child. "The woman is dead, but the child is just asleep." she concluded. Beatrix nodded, then picked up the sleeping girl.

"Have the woman burried, and have the boat put into storage. I'll take care of the child. You are all sworn to silence." With this last sentance, she pulled the girl's hood foward just a bit more so that her face couldn't be seen.

"Your Majesties, my soldiers have made a remarkable discovery." Beatrix adressed both King Alexander and Queen Brahne. "About an hour ago, a boat was found to have washed ashore. There was a lady and a child in that boat, the woman was deceaced, but the young girl is alive."

"Why are you bothering us concerning an orphan? We don't have time for" The king interupted Queen Brahn with a motion of his hand.

"Please, General Beatrix, continue." He said.

"The young girl, she perfectly resembles the lost Princess." The king had always been a gentle soul, full of love and compassion. He had always taken special care of his little Garnet, spoiling her and even occasionally neglecting his duties just to play with her. Ever since his beloved daughter died a month earlier, he had been suffering a heavy depression wich only seemed to get worse with every passing day.

"Where is the girl?" he asked, his voice hoarse with growing tension.

"I had her placed in the guest room; she's probably still asleep." Dazed as they were, both the King and Queen were eager to see the girl and quickly ran to the guest room. The child lay in the bed, having been given a clean and dry night gown.

"My Garnet." The King wispered and he kenlt down beside the girl and put a hand to her cheek.

"What is... that...?" the Queen asked, her heart not quite darring to believe that all this was real. "Beatrix, summon Dr. Tot; he should be found in the library." Beatrix nodded, and quickly retrieved the older scholar while explaining the situation along the way. He inspected the girl, and the Queen had repeated her question.

"I can not be sure, my Queen, however there is an old legend about a village of summoners who used their horns to communicate with eidelons. Of course it is a legend and we have no supporting evidence, but often legends are rooted in fact." The old sage said, while pushing his glasses just a bit further up his beak.

"Can it be removed?" The King asked promptly, suddenly paying attention to something other than the beautiful face before him.

"Well, if she is a summoner it may inhibit or even compleately disable her ability to call eidelons, but..."

"But it shouldn't harm her otherwise, correct?" Alexander pressed.

"Theoretically... yes." Tot hesitated to answer, and the look on his face showed that he did not favor the idea in the least.

"Have it done immediately. From this day forth, this girl is my daughter: Princess Garnet Til Alexandros XVII."

Kuja stood before a pair of altars, atop one was a strange looking doll. With a creepy likeness to a jester, it was dressed in red. Upon the other, was yet another doll. Just like the first, it was reminiscent of a harliquen, but this on was clad in blue. Kuja chanted, waving his hands above the pair. Mist, silver with the scent of death and angst, trailed from his fingertips towards the altars. His words were of the Terran language, his native tounge. His eyes were glossed over, as he had been in this trance-like state for quite a few hours now.

Humans, in order to create living dolls from the dregs of souls, would need a bit more than just strong magic. Kuja, on the other hand, could do it, but not without quite a bit of effort. Especially, since theese two needed to last more than just a few years. 'When the first sliver of the red moon shows in the sky, facing the North, chant theese words untill dawn...' the manuscript read. He had been up all day, unable to force himself to fall alseep since he knew this would take a while. Now, he was suffering an immense amount of sleep deprivation. 

All his attention was on the repetitiveness of the rite, and he knew that if he even paused to check on his progress, he would loose it. Over the course of the night, the linen skin of the dolls had gradually turned to flesh. The button eyes had sunk into true eye-sockets and formed themselves. The red one stired and sat up, the blue one just seconds behind. Startled by the sudden movement, Kuja stopped and looked at the pair. They were looking at eachother, and after a moment, one spoke

"You are my brother, correct?" Said the blue one.

"Your brother, I am." He turned to address Kuja "Correct?"

Kuja could only muster a very tired half-smile and nod. "And I am your creator. You will do as I command." Both of the dolls nodded. "And my first command is... put me in my bed so I can sleep. I will explain a bit more to both of you when I wake up." The pair looked at eachother, nodded, and jointly carried the young sorcerer to his bedchamber. The moment Kuja's head hit the pillows, he was fast asleep.

"I created the two of you to serve Queen Brahne, the Queen of Alexandria,  
and to gaurd her daughter Princess Garnet. Brahne has been having a few problems lately with King Alexander. She wants to turn Alexandria into an imperialistic nation and bring true peace to all of the Mist Continent by taking all of the countries under her rule. She also wants to rid the continent of those filthy rats of Burmecia and Cleyra. Of course, achieving theese goals will mean war. I have provided her with the plans for constructing a machine that will create living dolls that use Black Magic; theese soldiers would make up her army. The problem is that the King does not wish for the same goals and will not allow her to make the machine. Since his word is taken over hers, we will have to help put Brahne compleately into power. This will require killing the King." Kuja paused in his explanation and waited for a reaction from the twin jesters that would show they were listening and understanding. They both nodded, and the blue one kicked his feet beneeth his chair.

Kuja ran his fingers lightly through his silver, feathered hair and continued. "I cannot use the same method to kill the King as I did on the first Princess; someone may start to suspect something. After a lot of resarch and pondering, here's how it will be done. The people support King Alexander and his peaceful foreign policy. When the change of power switches, they will need incentive to back Queen Brahne in her war." Kuja handed the blue one a small perfume bottle. "The concoction in that bottle has no odor,  
colour, or taste. It is harmless, except under certain conditions. When mixed with Gyshal, it becomes poisonous. One thing the King can not keep away from when he is in Lindblum is Gyshal Pickles. If you can manage to slip some into his food, it will be activated when he eats the pickles. It will take a little bit of time, but the chain reaction is irreversable once set in motion. It will be obvious that he was poisoned once he starts showing symptoms, but the time of poisoning will be concealed. If you sow the seeds of discontent for Lindblum in Alexandria, the people, and the Queen, will believe that Lindblum was behind the assasination. This will not just get rid of the King as an obstacle, but it will also bring the people to the Queen's cause. Are you two understanding this?" 

The pair nodded again, then the red one spoke. "Brilliant it is! Never would I have thought of such an ingenious plan!" 

"What dosage should we use of this liquid, and what shall we do with it once we have poisoned him?" Asked the blue one, curiously.

Kuja shifted his wait to his other leg, and let one hand rest on his hip. "Just a drop will do, and it will stay with him for about a day. After that, if he hasn't eaten any Gyshal, you will have to give it to him again. Once he as been succsessfully poisoned, you can destroy the bottle and the liquid can be ignited just like alcohol."

"Yes, my Lord." the pair said in unison and bowed deeply before their master.

"I also want you to deliver this to Queen Brahne, it will insure that you will be welcomed by her." He handed to the red one a letter; wrapped in a formal envelope sealed with wax.

"Amnesia. She doesn't remember who she is or where she came from." Doctor Tot explained to the Queen. "It's usually the result of a powerful blow to the head, or a major accident of some sort." He adjusted his glasses and thought to himself. 'However, she shows no evidence of physical harm. I wonder if this was the work of a very powerfull magic.'

"This is perfect. She will be my daughter from now on, and we will not even have to worry about her adjusting to a new life or grieving for past friends, or any of the like that she would have suffered for being separated from her past. Although, I would have liked to be able to ask her about that horn. I suppose there's no use in telling her about that either, now that it is gone"  
The Queen though out loud, half speaking to herself and to the Doctor. 

As the Queen turned toward the window and away from him, he sighed and shook his head in dissapproval. He could understand how the King and Queen must feel; just a month after loosing their cherished daughter, they seem to have been given a new one with no memory of herself or her life. But, doesn't she deserve, at least someday, perhaps when she's older, to learn about her true origin? To know who they really are, isn't that a basic human right?

"We'll tell her that she fell down the stairs and hit her head, that's what the wound just above her forhead is, and why she lost her memory." The Queen paused. "How is she doing?" She asked in a much more sympathetic tone.

"She's still very tired, but she's awake. Her condition should improve quickly; she'll be up and about in around a week." Tot said in a voice void of all emotion, that being the only way to hide his discontent with the Queen's intentions. "My leige, I have a request."

"Yes?" The Queen asked, sounding just a little short.

"I would like to travel to Treno and begin my project of reconstructing the Gargant station there. It is something that has been put off for quite a long time, and I think that this would be an ideal time to start fixing it up." The red bird gestured with his wings as he spoke, trying to add as much inflection to his voice as he could as to cover his feelings.

"I will allow you a year. After that, I will require you here to tutor my daughter. As for funding, I trust you. You will have access to the royal treasury, and I know that you will not abuse that privalage." The Queen did not turn toward the Doctor, keeping her gaze headed out the tall window before her.

"This is very much apperciated, my Lady." Doctor Tot bowed low, his feathers rustling as he did so.

"You are dissmissed." The Queen stated flatly. Tot took one last look at the Queen before he left to pack his things for Treno. 

The window overlooked the lake behind the Alexandrian palace, and the royal gardens. It was a gray, hazy day. 'It looks almost as if the mist has risen to the skys.' The Queen mused to herself. She watched the clouds slowly roll and turn for a long moment, untill she saw something decend from gray haze. A silver dragon. She only saw one other silver dragon before,  
and that was the one she knew Kuja to always arrive on. Surprised to see him here so unexpectedly, she decided to just watch for a few moments more.

The dragon had appeared above the far side of the lake, and began to draw large circles in the air above. Lazilly, it descended until finally coming to land in the main courtyard of the garden. The same place it always landed when it came to Alexandria. The Queen, sure that it was Kuja, now bolted from the window to make her way to the gardens.

Upon her arrival, she found not Kuja, but a pair of jesters clad in red and blue. They bowed low to her. After the description of Brahn the pair had recieved from Kuja they knew they could not be mistaken in thinking that this was the Queen now before them. The Blue one stepped foward and offered her the letter, bearing the same strange seal that Kuja always used on all of his documents. The Queen glanced around to see that the dragon had already taken to the skies once more, and it was just then dissappearing through the clouds. She took the letter and hastilly ripped it open.

Queen Brahne,

Recently I have recieved a disturbing premonition where a member of your familly had been killed by an unkown enemy. In my dream, who that enemy is has not come yet to light, but it seemed to be someone who is posing as a friend.  
Since usually I do not recieve dreams this vivid and full of emotion, I have decided not to ignore this warning and have sent you a gift. Theese twins were created by me with the sole purpose of serving and protecting you and your family. They are a variant of the Black Mage Dolls that I gave you the plans for, with some amount of alterations. Please, use them and keep them close to you and the Princess at all times, I would hate to hear that anything should happen to any of you.

Your humble servant,  
Kuja

Brahne looked at the twin harliquins; they smiled and spoke toether: " How wonderfully met, my Queen."

King Alexander laughed as he walked down the halls of the Lindblum palace. "That was the best comedy I have ever seen! I particulary loved the monkey-boy; he was hysterical! I don't think Blank ever could have caught him!" He laughed once more, a smile showing on Cid's face that quickly turned to a big yawn. 

Cid glanced at his watch, seeing that it was approaching midnight. HIs smile turned to a big yawn. Alexander heafted his young daughter, dozing in his arms, and yawned as well. "I think that tomorrow, I would like to wander around Lindblum and do a little shopping. I want to go to that toy makers shop and buy a special doll for my little princess, and of course I have to stop by and see Grandma Pickle. It wouldn't be a trip to LIndblum without it. You are going to accompany me, are you not?"

"Of course. I would love to." Cid said, his smile again present on his lips. "But, I believe, now it would be bedtime. Didn't your lady wander off a bit ago?" Cid inquired, his brows furrowed with concern.

"She was very tired. She seems to be a bit flustered latley; I've tried to get her to speak to me about what's bothering her, but she won't say a word..." Alexander continued.

"This is the third time, correct?" Said the red jester.

"Correct you are not, fourth time this is. Hopefull he will go shopping tomorrow and our job will be finished." Said the blue. 

"Very true. It is difficult, it is, to try and find a chance to slip him the syrum. " The red commented.

The pair was peeking out of a cracked door at the pair walking down the hall, both carrying wine glasses.

Cid chuckled. "I have no idea how you can stand those pickles; they smell just awful..."

"Daddy! Daddy! Look at this!" Garnet said, running up to Alexander. She held up a doll to him, her eyes sparkling like diamonds in crystal-clear water. The doll wore a long white gown with red, triangular edging. She had long blonde hair, with short bangs, and green eyes. She was crafted from the finest porcelain, and her clothes made of the most expensive linen. 

"She's beautifull." Alexander said, and looked back to his daughter. She looked up at him with hopefull eyes, big and beautiful. "Would you like to keep this doll?" He asked her. She nodded quickly and in ernest. "Very well then." He handed the doll back to his daughter and went to pay the vendor.

Garnet hugged the doll close and smiled widely. She had looked at each and every doll that was in that entire store and not one had truely caught her eye, untill she saw this one.

"Do you know what she is?" Asked the red jester. Garnet looked at him in confusion, with a look of questioning in her eyes. "She's a White Mage. A very long time ago, there used to be a village very far away, called Madain Sari. Have you heared of it?"

"I think so," Garnet said slowly. "I think Mama told me about it in a bedtime story once. She said it was a ledgand. I think." the Princess answered.

"Well, everyone in Madain Sari had the potential to use White Magic, and everyone was born with a horn. The leaders of thease people were called White Mages, and they were the best summoners. Theese people considered the beasts they summoned, called Eidelons, to be gods. In the ledgend, this is the type of outfit that the White Mages wore. I wonder why she doesn't have a horn though." The red jester paused to ponder that thought, and just as he was about to continue, Alexander had returned.

"Are we ready to go, Garnet?" The young girl nodded and smiled widley. 

"Thank you very much daddy! I love her!" She extended one of her arms, and her father picked her up and let her sit on his right arm, holding her new doll close. Alexander walked out of the store, with the red jester just behind him.

Alexander looked around the courtyard for just a moment before he spotted the Gyshal Pickle cart. As he walked over, Grandma Pickle waved toward him. "Your Lordship! My my has it been a long time!" 

"It is good to see you as well, Grandma. I sure hope you haven't changed your recipie since I last was here." Alexander grinned toward the little old lady. Garnet caught a wiff of the horrible scent of the pickles, and wondered how anyone can stand to be arround them long enough to sell them let alone make them. She pinched her nose against the stench.

"Of course not! That would practically be sacrilage. I will always use my great, great, great grandmothers reciepte. It's been handed down from generations and perfected by time. I would never change it! Now, how many can I get for you?" She asked as she picked up a pair of tongs and a large piece of wax-paper.

"Would you like one, Garnet?" Alexander asked. Garnet narrowed her eyes, furrowed her brows, and wrinkeled her nose at the suggestion, and made a big show of how she had been taking quick breaths and holding them so that she doesn't have to breathe in the fume-like stench of the pickles. "Oh, come on now, you don't want to make Grandma feel bad, now do you?" Feeling just a bit of guilt, she dropped the act.

"Yes, please." She said, shyly, and with hesitation. 

"They may smell badly, but once you give them a try you'll see that they're really very delicious. The worse they smell, the better they taste! That's how it goes with Gyshal Pickles!" Grandma Pickle said as she handed one to both Alexander and Garnet. Alexander gave her the nessasary currency and nodded his head to her in thanks. 

"Thank you very much, Grandma, and have a wonderfull day. I wish you luck untill we meet again." He said, by way of parting. Grandma called out a thank you and waved them goodbye.

Garnet looked at the short, Cthulhian, green, bumpy, ... mini-tentacle (?) in her hand and wrinkled her nose once again. With a sudden feeling of determination and bravery, she took a bite. Just as she feared, it did taste as badly as it smelled.

"Patooey!" She said loudly as she spat out the piece of pickle, inadvertantly beaning the red jester in the forhead. 

"Disgusting!" He exclaimed as he wiped the saliva and pickle juice off of his face. "I'm going to smell like Gyshal Pickles for a month now!"

Finding this whole thing pretty humorous, Alexander laughed loudly. "Fine then. If you don't like it, I'll eat it. At least you tried it; usually you can't even come close to convincing people of even that." And he took the pickle from Garnet's hand and took a bite. "I love theese things, but I suppose you could say they're an acquired taste..." He said, speaking with his mouth full.

After a few days, Queen Brahne, King Alexander, and Princess Garnet had returned to Alexandria due to a sudden illness that the King seem to have picked up while visiting Lindblum. After being seen by just about every doctor in Alexandria the conclusion was that while on their holiday, he had been poisoned. By who and when wasn't known for sure, so the doctors had no idea what to use to try and neutralize it. They tried everything they knew of common and rare poisons, and it did nothing save delay the inevitable. 

When it became clear that he was poisoned, Queen Brahne cut off her connections with Lindblum. With her husband taken from her, she became very bitter and suspicious. Rumors in court spread to the people, and soon there was a general dislike toward anyone or anything from Lindblum and everyone heard how the King's death came about. 

As soon as she was able, Brahne took a trip to Dali to start planning the construction of her machine that would create her Black Mage Soldiers. The people of Dali welcomed the chance to serve the Queen, and abandoned the farm in order to build a landing sight for a cargo ship that was already under construction. 

'It may take years of planning and preperation, but I will take Lindblum and have my revenge for what has been taken from me.' The Queen thought to herself, as she inspected the basement below the Dali Windmill. "This will work perfectly. Keep it concealed. I don't want anyone to know about it who doesn't need to. If anyone from Lindblum finds out where I'm creating the soldiers, they might destroy the town. For your own sakes, keep it secret." She said to the Mayor of the town as they began putting the very first of the machine parts in place. 


End file.
